So, it was business as usual last Friday morning. It was a cloudy, cold (for Vegas) day so Matty was occupied with his tractors and the movie 'Cars.' I was in the kitchen putting away dishes. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Who should be standing at my front door but Karen Patterson (Boggs, as she will forever be known to me). Yep, that's right. Boggs was standing at my front door. I was speechless.
Turns out, she and my husband had been planning the visit for months. So, in her words, "Surprise! Hope you don't mind a houseguest for a week!"
I most certainly did not.
Not only had my sweet husband been in major part in planning her arrival, he also agreed to watch MJ for the weekend so we could stay down on the Strip and enjoy some adult shenanigans. And, as much as I love my son, this momma welcomed the break. So off we headed.
You cannot survive the Strip without a drink. It's too crowded and too chaotic to handle sober. Nothing a 32 oz. margarita couldn't solve, though. :)
When Boggs flew to Europe to visit me when I lived in Germany, we drove up to Amsterdam for a night. We went to a Madam Tussaud's there and had a blast; so, of course, we had to check out the one here in Vegas, too. I'd been already, but it's kind of a tradition. :) And, while the one in Amsterdam is better (in our opinion), Vegas does have some distinctly 'Vegas' qualities about it.
Like Frank and the boys . . .
. . . and dirty old Hef . . .
. . . and *cringe* Celine . . .
. . . and (something I will never understand the appeal of) UFC fighters.
One of the best things about taking Boggs to the Strip was watching her face as she experienced the sheer lunacy of it for the first time. Between the drunks, homeless people, and pornography, there were times I thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head. However, what she really loved were all the street performers. Some are creepy and disturbing, but some aren't bad. This guy, however, took the cake. We both had to do a double take:
Out of all the ones we saw, this one was the only one we thought legitimately deserved a few bucks for a photo op. Thanks for letting us join your one man wolf pack, Zach on the Strip.
I am huge sucker for pretty things so I convinced Boggs to take a detour from all the glitz and glamour and join me in walking through the conservatory garden at the Bellagio. The garden is themed for every season and, for spring, they turn it into a sort of mini Keukenhof. Now, I'll admit, it was no where close to the real Keukenhof, but it was still beautiful and a nice breather before returning to all the debauchery of Las Vegas Blvd.
Of course, you can't go to the Strip without doing at least a little gambling. I'm not really a betting woman . . . but I do enjoy the slots. So we found a machine, and I pulled up a chair for Boggs who promptly made this face:
"How does it work?!"
After explaining the finer point of pushing random buttons, we got going. Neither one of us were big winners, although Boggs did get to cash out:
Yep, you read that right. Vegas owes Boggs 20 cents. I nearly had to pay her 20 cents out of my own pocket just to keep her from going to the cashier cage.
After eating, drinking, and giggling our way down Las Vegas Blvd, we decided on a show (Criss Angel's 'Believe'), which was the weirdest thing I'd seen on the Strip yet. Good show, but seriously bizarre.
It was an epic night, as much as it could be for two exhausted mommas. We stayed out until 1:00 AM. Yeah, 1 AM. I hadn't seen that time of night since Matty was 3 months old and still waking up for midnight feedings. :)
The next day was St. Patty's Day, Boggs' and I's "frieniversary." (It's a really long story.) We spent the day relaxing and recuperating from the night before, although we did indulge in some green beer. It was much different from the last St. Patty's Day we had spent together (which I honestly can't remember--and NOT because it was several years ago). But I loved spending it with my best friend and my son at the park instead of some smoky bar.
By Monday, we were rested and ready to head out again. We had MJ in tow and an itching to get out of the city so Red Rock Canyon seemed like the perfect destination.
We were definitely ready to do some hiking, but I figured a stop at the visitor's center would let MJ stretch his legs a bit before being shoved into the carrier for most of the morning. Their visitor's center is wonderfully kid-friendly and very interactive. MJ had a blast climbing on EVERYTHING in sight.
And I was right. By the time we left and arrived at our trailhead, MJ made zero fuss about being strapped to my back. I, on the other hand, may have made some groans and moans at first. ;)
Boggs enjoying the mountains. You most certainly don't see things like this in Indiana!
Our trail took us near some ancient Native American carvings and painting on the canyon walls. Beautiful!
Tuesday morning brought some unexpected bad news. Karen's husband's grandfather had passed away. She would have to fly home on Wednesday morning for the funeral. Our reunion week was drastically cut short, but she was needed at home with her family. I hated to have to say good-bye to my best friend so soon, but it wasn't even a choice. Her family had to be her priority.
We did have one day left before I had to take her to the airport, though. And we decided spend it doing the one thing she had been talking about since she arrived: climbing Lone Mountain. Apparently she was a fan of my previous post. ;)
And yes, we conquered it together.
Cheesin' at the top.
And, as you can see from this view of the Strip, it was a beautiful day to climb.
As Boggs relaxed at the top, I scrambled a bit further to get a better view of the Strip. Suddenly, she started screaming "Something on that rock is moving!" I nearly plunged to my death trying to scramble away, thinking for sure that a rattlesnake was waiting to strike. I laughed out loud when I saw what it really was. Can you spot our summit friend?
Thanks for the fantastic surprise, Boggs. I didn't even realize how much I had missed you. Come back any time. Remember, Vegas owes you money!! :)
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